Economic Potentials of Ikere Gorge and Oyan Dams for National Development

A study was carried out to review the works of different researchers on Ikere gorge dam and Oyan dam; the two main multipurpose dams in the southwest Nigeria under the control of Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority. The two gigantic dams and other smaller dams in the area were found to be grossly under- utilized considering the water storage capacity and purposes for which the dams were built. The dams were meant to serve the people in the region in terms of water provision, irrigation farming, hydro power generation, fishery, recreation, navigation and other purposes. The economic potential of the two engineering water infrastructures were highlighted. An appeal is now being made to the relevant authorities through this medium to explore areas of utilizing the two dams for regional and national economic development

Crop Energy analysis

Energy inputs and yield relationship in cassava production was investigated to establish correlation between inputs and outputs in cassava production in Nigeria. Production data of energy inputs and crop yields were collected from 54 cassava farms in twelve cassava producing villages through site visits, interaction with the farmers and physical measurements for three production seasons (2013-2016). The data were analyzed statistically. Amount of inputs per hectare were calculated and multiplied by coefficients of energy equivalents. Total energy inputs in cassava production were 36482.8 MJ ha-1 while average output of cassava tubers was 32022.6 kg ha-1 . Energy use ratio, energy productivity and specific energy of the surveyed farms were 4.9, 0.9 kg MJ-1 and 1.1 MJ kg-1 respectively. Shares of direct and indirect energy inputs were 5.7% and 94.2% respectively. Human labor, fertilizer, cassava stem, machinery and fuel had positive effects on output. Fertilizer, cassava stem and machinery variables were significant at 0.1%, 1% and 5% significant levels respectively. R-squared was 0.93 and Durbin Watson statistic indicates no autocorrelation at 5% significant level, indicating that variables in the model were not dependent of each other and changes in the value of one variable did not have any meaningful effect on other variables. All the variables contributed independently to the output

LOCUST BEANS SEED DEHULLING MACHINE

A locust bean dehulling machine was fabricated and evaluated using locally available materials. The machine performs dual operations of removing the seed coats and cleaning. Components of the machine include the frame, hopper, dehulling chamber, water container, discharge outlets, set of gears and bearings in operation. In operation, locust beans seeds introduced via the hopper moved to the auger which separates the soft pulp and conveys the material into the dehulling chamber. The seeds were washed in the dehulling chamber while the coat (residual waste) passes through the sieve into the water trough where it was discharged through the waste outlet. Throughput capacity, output capacity, recovery percentage and cleaning efficiency were 264.0kg/hr, 98.48%, and 98.75%, respectively. This machine may find applications in the processing of locust beans

Evaporative cooling

A solar-powered evaporative cooling system was assessed to prolong the shelf-life of farmers' fruits and vegetables in rural areas without electricity. Temperature and relative humidity for both ambient and the cooling device were recorded daily using a wet bulb and dry bulb thermometer and digital humidity - temperature meter. Weight loss was measured with a digital weighing balance. The device was evaluated in terms of change in temperature, weight loss, and relative humidity for 14 days using citrus and tomatoes in ambient condition and in the cooler. The average temperature drop and saturation efficiency in the cooler during the no-load test were 7°C and 41%, respectively. Weight losses in citrus and tomatoes in ambient conditions were 20.22% and 45.56% respectively, while those stored at cooler temperatures were 6.54% and 19.98% for citrus and tomatoes respectively. The cooler’s ambient temperature varied from23.0℃ to 26.0℃ and ambient relative humidity from 73.9% to 91.33%. The device is a very simple system intended to serve local farmers to increase their economic returns from their farming activities. The overall cost of this cooling device was forty-nine thousand naira (N49, 000)

Wood Residues Generation from Sawmilling Activities and Energy Potential

The global concerns about the rise in anthropogenic gases have resulted in alternative clean energy sources. Biomass is one of the most prominent sources of renewable energy, which can be found in wood and wood wastes, agricultural crops and their waste byproducts, municipal solid waste (MSW), animal wastes, waste from food processing, aquatic plants and algae. Wood and wood wastes obtained from forest biomass stand at the centre of Renewable Energy Source (RES) due to its availability and usefulness in most developing countries. Sawdust is one of the wood processing residues that are in excess of local demand because of the near absence of its industrial demand in Kwara State. Data relating to its availability, industrial usage and energy potential are rarely available in this study area. This study investigates its availability and inherent energy potential that can be a vital tool for energy policy, planning and development. Wood wastes generated in the state were estimated to be 8012.8 m3 /yr with inherent energy potential of 31298 GJ. By putting sawdust, seen as wastes in most wood processing plants, into efficient use will help reduce the competition for wood as a source of heat for cooking and heating

Energy potentials of wood residues

The global concerns about the rise in anthropogenic gases have resulted in alternative clean energy sources. Biomass is one of the most prominent sources of renewable energy, which can be found in wood and wood wastes, agricultural crops and their waste byproducts, municipal solid waste (MSW), animal wastes, waste from food processing, aquatic plants and algae. Wood and wood wastes obtained from forest biomass stand at the centre of Renewable Energy Source (RES) due to its availability and usefulness in most developing countries. Sawdust is one of the wood processing residues that are in excess of local demand because of the near absence of its industrial demand in Kwara State. Data relating to its availability, industrial usage, and energy potential are rarely available in this study area. This study investigates its availability and inherent energy potential that can be a vital tool for energy policy, planning, and development. Wood wastes generated in the state were estimated to be 8012.8 m3 /yr with inherent energy potential of 31298 GJ. By putting sawdust, seen as wastes in most wood processing plants, into efficient use will help reduce the competition for wood as a source of heat for cooking and heating

Energy output-input analysis

Energy inputs and yield relationship in cassava production was investigated to establish correlation between inputs and outputs in cassava production in Nigeria. Production data of energy inputs and crop yields were collected from 54 cassava farms in twelve cassava producing villages through site visits, interaction with the farmers and physical measurements for three production seasons (2013-2016). The data were analyzed statistically. Amount of inputs per hectare were calculated and multiplied by coefficients of energy equivalents. Total energy inputs in cassava production were 36482.8 MJ ha-1 while average output of cassava tubers was 32022.6 kg ha-1 . Energy use ratio, energy productivity and specific energy of the surveyed farms were 4.9, 0.9 kg MJ-1 and 1.1 MJ kg-1 respectively. Shares of direct and indirect energy inputs were 5.7% and 94.2% respectively. Human labor, fertilizer, cassava stem, machinery and fuel had positive effects on output. Fertilizer, cassava stem and machinery variables were significant at 0.1%, 1% and 5% significant levels respectively. R-squared was 0.93 and Durbin Watson statistic indicates no autocorrelation at 5% significant level, indicating that variables in the model were not dependent on each other and that changes in the value of one variable did not have any meaningful effect on other variables. All the variables contributed independently to the output

DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED GARI FRYER

Traditional frying of cassava mash into gari continues to be an onerous and complex unit operation for food processors. It is highly labor intensive, tedious, unhygienic and low productivity compared with the time and labor invested. The aim of this study was to design, develop a gari fryer, and evaluate its performance efficiency as affected by the mash moisture content. Cassava mash of different moisture contents (44.12, 45, 46.99, 48.99, 50.31, and 54.94 %) were fried, and the performance characteristics including, roasting time, percentage material loss, throughput capacity, and functional efficiency were evaluated. Results obtained indicated that frying cassava mash at 44.12 % wb moisture content produced the best frying condition, as it had the least material loss and frying time of 25 % and 1.17 hr, best throughput capacity and functional efficiency of 6.6 kg/hr and 75 %. The fabricated gari frying does not require technical expertise and can effectively address the challenges associated with traditional gari frying

An investigation into some crop residues generation from farming activities and inherent energy potentials in Kwara State, Nigeria

In recent time, interest in energy generation from biological materials has been on the increase because of its environmental benefits. The use of these waste materials as feedstock in energy generation plants has been used in many industrial processes. The availability of these wastes is key to the sustainability of such a process. Resource assessment is an important step for planning and implementation of any energy workflow. This research studied the quantity of crop residues generated from farming of some crops in Kwara State and the potential energy contents inherent in them which when properly harnessed can help to alleviate the energy challenge in the state. The crops investigated were rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and sugar cane. Relevant data were collected by visiting major farm establishments in the state and also the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MANR). Obtained production outputs for two farming seasons were analysed using the corresponding residue-to-crop ratios (RPR) to obtain the quantity of wastes generated and the corresponding unit conversion ratio for biomass energy content to obtain the inherent energy potentials. A total crop output of 2531.46 ton was obtained from the study with an estimated residue of 6047.02 tons, and inherent energy potential of 109201 GJ